BuzzFeed has a gallery of the 100 “best” signs from the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear. They’re pretty much all funny enough, but these two are my faves (you just know I had to showcase a couple to get you interested, right?):

Georgia-based Conyers’ Church Pastor Jim Swilley [pictured] comes out as gay in wake of recent wave of LGBT teen suicides, declares homosexuality is not a choice. Shame it took him this long, but kudos nonetheless.(via Political Irony)

Saturday, October 30, 2010

Maybe the reason the polls predict such a turn-out in favor of the GOP in the midterms, now three days away, is because most of the population are perfectly fine with allowing greedy, lying, hypocritical and self-serving douchebags take the reigns of the country and crash it into a few more ditches, smiling with their money-lined pockets as they watch the nation burn. Or, perhaps less cynically and more likely, they simply don’t remember at the moment who it was that dragged the US into so many dark pits in the first place. Here’s a great political ad explaining why those equipped with functioning memories should not vote Republican on 11/02.

24-year-old former Joplin, Missouri cop Jonathan White finds out the hard way that it’s legal for him to love and marry a 17-year-old girl, but not to possess naked images of her. Yet another example of incoherent laws screwing people around.(via The Agitator)

Friday, October 29, 2010

Here’s a truly golden quote from Patrick Mangan, executive director of the Indiana-based group Citizens for Community Values (so you can reliably guess their ideology already), reacting to the (sadly unsurprising) defeat of a measure that would’ve protected South Bend workers from anti-LGBT discrimination:

"I'm pleased the council did the right thing in lovingly opposing special rights for homosexuals," he said, adding, "And I renew the offer to all those struggling with same-sex attraction to come to freedom and come to wholeness."

I think I choked a little when I read that. It was an odd sound, something between a laugh, a scoff and a gag. These people really are shamelessly transparent, aren’t they?

I say why I “would” vote Democrat, because, well, I’m a Canuck. So moot to making a difference in US politics. Still though, the observations gleaned from these charts from a recent national pre-election survey of over 14,000 likely voters are very telling, albeit none surprising, to Democrats and liberals in general and only further confirm the fact that progressives tend to have both our hearts and minds in the right place, especially compared to the self-serving elitists of the Right.

Who is most responsible for the current economic slump?

This is almost hilariously predictable. Of course, Republicans would rather eat their own children than admit that President Obama couldn’t possibly be blamed for the fact that the economy crashed and burned before he even took fucking office and that the real culprits are the endlessly reckless, greedy and dishonest banks and wealthy jackals whose asses they just can’t stop kissing.

You may notice the rather ghostly figure at the rear (or stern) of the ship, there. I was momentarily puzzled by such an apparent apparition, until I remembered it was a long-exposure shot, which signaled that the person had simply strayed into the shot and stood there for a while as the camera was collecting light, resulting in a translucid figure. So don’t you go around claiming it’s more evidence of ghosts! (Seriously, some would. Hence the usefulness of critical thought.)

New Gallup poll reveals that more religious Americans are generally happier in their lives than lesser or non-religious Americans. Two things: 1) I postulate that this is primarily a result of faith’s nature of both mollycoddling believers and encouraging social relations (such as with church). 2) Religious conservatives and anti-atheists declaring how this proves atheists are mean and miserable in 5 … 4 … 3 …(via Friendly Atheist)

If you have any story suggestions, feel free to leave them in the comments or send them in.

Thursday, October 28, 2010

This is exactly what non-voting Americans are turning the country over to

We are just over four days away from the 2010 midterm elections in the United States. On 11/02, the future of the next few years – and possibly for far longer – will be decided. And, as Keith Olbermann lays it out in terrifying detail in his latest Special Comment, on 11/02, we’ll find out just how deeply voter apathy runs, especially throughout liberal circles, if they actually neglect to make their voices heard over the mere disappointment of two years of unfulfilled optimism and allow the country to be thrown into the hands of the litany of crazy, ignorant, dishonest, ideologically driven and bigoted nutcases who would love nothing more than to seize power, sometimes even violently, and return America back to an era of oppression, discrimination and special-interests-led tyranny. And no, those words are not used lightly or ironically.

Fellow blogger and Hell denizen PersonalFailure likes to tweet links to disturbing content and the nutty individuals who give unsightly birth to it. This time, she’s pointed her poor Twitter followers to the blog of one Eivind Berge, a Norwegian man who is yet another representation of what happens when you combine raw intellectualism (as in unaided by other such things as sensibility and wisdom) with a festering and barely concealed loathing for women, along with a fair helping of an ego so self-flattered that its glossy shine can be seen from China. (No, that description apparently does not solely refer to Vox Day, and perhaps to a lesser extent, his mate-in-anti-feminist retardation, Roissy.)

I casually skimmed along the first page (you don’t seriously expect me to go looking deeper than that? No SIWOTI-afflicted blogger is that self-flagellating) and found a fair number of interesting tidbits. For example, did you know that female sexual abusers don’t exist?

A category error (or category mistake) is a semantic or ontological error by which a property is ascribed to a thing or group which could not possibly have that property. Imputing culpability for sexual abuse or rape of boys to women is such a mistake. The lie that women can rape or sexually abuse males is I think the most preposterous and egregiously offensive category error imaginable. I have addressed this topic numerous times, but it cannot be emphasized enough that the notion of a female sexual abuser is a complete and utter falsehood. Since sex is a female resource, any male is only lucky to get sex from women regardless of whether he is underage, forced or whatever.

Wow! So hey, all you men who have been sexually assaulted by women, and all you young boys who have been abused by female child molesters – nothing wrong happened to you and you should be thanking your forceful sexual aggressorspartners for having been so lucky as to experience their touch! Why, doesn’t the world seem all the more cheery now, knowing your horrible ordeals really weren’t all that bad at all, and that they were even good things? What a breath of fresh air!

Allow me to bitch for a few moments. Watching my bandy-legged cat alternate between limping around and hiding under my bed whilst bleeding from her paws has confirmed to me two things. First, I am never having another pet of mine declawed again, which means I’ll never have another cat so long as I live at my mother’s. And second, I am now relatively certain that my mother and godmother, as much as I love them, (and probably most other people) have no idea what “choices” or “fair” are. Forcing me to “choose” between one dreadful option or another – ie. having my kitty declawed against my will or not having her at all – is not within the same realm of existence as “fair”. It is pure and blatant coercion. Especially when they use arguments as dimwitted and demonstrably false as the ones they brought up regarding my cat as an individual.

For all you supporters of the War on Drugs who think “getting tough” is the way to deal with this: First look at this heartbreaking (and extremely NSFW/graphic) imagery of the effects of escalating drug-related violence in Mexico. Then, tell me if your moral center has been realigned yet.(via The Agitator)

Suffering from the severe state budget crunch, Indiana social workers encouraging parents to leave heavily disabled people at homeless shelters rather than go bankrupt trying to care for them. Or, in which the lost public option sings us a sad tune.(via @todayspolitics)

If you have any story suggestions, feel free to leave them in the comments or send them in.

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

From Clint McCance, a school board member at Midland School District in Arkansas, taking to Facebook and sharing his very clear thoughts about “Spirit Day”, the global event where people were encouraged to wear purple in remembrance of the youths, both LGBT and not, who recently took their own lives in a bid to end the suffering caused by anti-gay bullying:

“Seriously they want me to wear purple because five queers committed suicide. The only way im wearin it for them is if they all commit suicide. I cant believe the people of this world have gotten this stupid. We are honoring the fact that they sinned and killed therselves because of their sin. REALLY PEOPLE.”

[…]

“No because being a fag doesnt give you the right to ruin the rest of our lives. If you get easily offended by being called a fag then dont tell anyone you are a fag. Keep that shit to yourself. I dont care how people decide to live their lives. They dont bother me if they keep it to thereselves. It pisses me off though that we make a special purple fag day for them. I like that fags cant procreate. I also enjoy the fact that they often give each other aids and die. If you arent against it, you might as well be for it.”

[…]

“I would disown my kids if they were gay. They will not be welcome at my home or in my vicinity. I will absolutely run them off. Of course my kids will know better. My kids will have solid christian beliefs. See it infects everyone.”

Before you ask for confirmation out of incredulity: Yes, this man is on a school district board in charge of handling the well-being of children, including the very individuals he so openly rejoices at the thought of seeing them kill themselves. And better yet, the Arkansas Department of Education regretfully stated that despite their condemnation of his remarks, they are pretty much stuck with him regardless unless he commits an actual crime. (As in breaking civil law, not moral laws.)

There are people who try to help but only manage to make things even worse, if inadvertently. There are others who don’t give a damn about helping and not only are unaffected by the problems they cause, but actively try to wipe their hands of any responsibility for the negative repercussions brought on by their vile actions. Cue Family Research Council president and world-class bigot Tony Perkins, who quickly absolves himself and other anti-gay persecutors of the blame they richly deserve for the numerous LGBT teen suicides of recent weeks:

Tony Perkins, president of the evangelical Family Research Council, says gay activists are exploiting the concern over bullying — and twisting the facts.

"There's no correlation between inacceptance of homosexuality and depression and suicide," he says.

Rather, Perkins says, there is another factor that leads kids to kill themselves.

"These young people who identify as gay or lesbian, we know from the social science that they have a higher propensity to depression or suicide because of that internal conflict," he says.

Homosexuality is "abnormal," he says, and kids know it, which leads them to despair. That's why he wants to confront gay activism in public schools. For example, his group supports the Day of Truth, when Christian high-schoolers make their case that homosexuality is a sin.

So the flaming bigot who opposes protections for gay teens against bullying in schools, who actively preaches that homosexuality is wrong and gays are filthy sinners who merely indulge in a “lifestyle”, and who happily encourages other students to promote these disgusting view in schools, is quick to declare that he and others who spread such spirit-crushing bullshit have absolutely nothing to do with all those vulnerable gay teenagers who feel alone and depressed to the point where ending their own lives to end the suffering becomes a viable option in their minds.

Clockwork: Hemant Mehta (Friendly Atheist) posts about sexy skeptic calendars, so naturally, the very first comment is whining about how alienating it is. Well, if just recognizing and admiring the attractiveness of sexy people as sexual beings (regardless of gender and/or the individuals’ intelligence or accomplishments) pushes these people away, then indeed, be gone.

Speaking of sexy: These “sexy Halloween costumes” are very mostly not. And some are plain freaking weird. (Radley Balko suggests a “Sexy Glenn Beck”. I shall now bill him for vomit damage to my keyboard.)(via The Agitator)

Final closure to the Constance McMillen affair: Judge orders Mississippi’s Itawamba school district to pay over $80,000 in legal fees and expenses for the hassle they pulled the ACLU-backed Constance through.(via @hemantmehta)

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Hard to know how to feel about this little musical parody. Odd? Overly flattering? Just plain silly? Either way, it’s brilliant and I very nearly laughed. (But I didn’t, because I have no heart and soul. Also, I eat kittens.)

Well, this would explain pretty much everything that’s wrong with Congressional Republicans these days. Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN), widely crowned as the stupidest US politician (no, Sarah Palin is merely second), went on Glenn Beck’s radio show and declared that his notorious chalkboard of insanities is where both US citizens and members of Congress “learn a lot” about “what’s going on”. (I, for one, refuse to believe this of Democrats. Even they can’t be spineless enough to shy away from changing the channel.)

Again, the message is overly simplistic as is the norm for these things, but the underlying point – that at least a large part of the sudden, beyond hysterical opposition against President Obama from the Right (especially in light of the same folks’ silence regarding the repeated desecration ex-President Bush reaped upon the Constitution) is primarily due to plain bigotry – is undeniable.

Oh, Black people. They’re the new Jews. (Or was it immigrants? Or Muslims? Or women? Or liberals? Or … whoever else the Right loves to rage against with the tenacity of impotent bulldogs?)

Ed Brayton quips that the Earth looks “pretty bad for her age” at a budding 6015 years old. But considering how other planets take millions and billions of years to cool down and solidify from their infancy as boiling masses of molten rock, I’d say she looks pretty dang (prematurely) good.

Count the problems with this picture: Four teens attempt to break into a home. Homeowner opens fire in self-defense, injuring one and killing a second. Florida laws converge to make it so that the homeowner gets nothing, while the first, injured kid [pictured] gets charged with second-degree murder (for his cohort’s death), now faces 50 years in prison. The other two, though accused of murder as well, are charged as minors and are sentenced to less than a year in juvie.(via The Agitator)

Monday, October 25, 2010

So, as you may have heard, I just moved in with my mother at a new place. The apartment itself is great: Relatively large, clean (courtesy of previous assholes who trashed the place and forced the triplex owner to fix it all up), airy and sunny (at least when Québec feels charitable and gives us some pleasant weather every once in a while). I’m also now hooked up to an Internet connection (which took five days longer than expected, naturally …) that, if it’s as fast as advertised, should take me to Andromeda and back again in about two seconds flat. (Or something.)

Meanwhile, the president of the National Organization for Marriage, Maggie Gallagher, takes to the New York Post and unleashes a torrent of rationalization for the fact that she and anti-gay activists like her are responsible for making life hell for LGBT youths, pushing some to suicide.

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Choosing your political party’s name is a carefully made decision as it can easily be one of the prime factors deciding whether people are even willing to give you a chance. (Sorry, Pot Party.) So, how about you name it after a current social ill? That’s what this guy did, and … dang. Please meet Jimmy McMillen, leader of the Rent is Too Damn High Party, Morgan Freeman voice-over actor and Greatest Beard Evar finalist.

Six days: The time it took for New York gubernatorial candidate Carl Paladino (R) to go from homosexuality is not “an equally valid or successful option” to “my opponent (Attorney General Andrew Cuomo (D)) doesn’t support gay rights enough”. Anyone else get whiplash?(via @todayspolitics)

Monday, October 18, 2010

It’s no secret that Vox Day and his faithful “Ilk” hate women. Or, rather, they hate what (they perceive) women – specifically, feminists – have done to society. It’s also no secret that the arguments they use to support their claims are usually so dumb, vile or downright retarded that they merit little mention, least of all on this blog. I don’t take pleasure in examining and debunking self-evident fallacies about how women are somehow to blame for the vices and shortcomings of other people (usually men)*, so I simply slip it under the cyberspatial rug.

Sometimes, though, someone lets loose a quote that just has to be shared around. You know, for the lulz. Behold:

[G]iving women the right to vote has been a disaster for liberty-loving small-government patriots.

That’s the relevant bit of some asshat’s reaction to some sort of study on the effects of women’s suffrage on the size of government, or something. (No, I’m not nearly bored or masochistic enough to take the time to read it, or even pay any real attention to it.) I just thought it was amusing, and therefore, was worth pointing out how, in the minds of these people, allowing women to vote alongside their male counterparts = less liberty. Or something. Seriously.

My, I do wonder why no-one really takes these nutbags seriously. (And yes, I use “nutbags” in a halfway-ironic manner.)

* An example to illustrate what I mean: A common argument used by anti-feminists is that women’s liberation and increased presence in the workforce can be translated into a “supply & demand” scenario, meaning that a larger potential workforce results in lower rates of recruitment/output. This is true, but only because of the greed of employers and the markets, not because women shouldn’t have work alongside men. In other words, human vice is the culprit, not women themselves. This argument is similar to arguing that freeing slaves leads to increased supply for employers, therefore, decreased demand for employees. Should we therefore still legalize slavery? It’s simply not tenable.

What do atheists do in their private lives? Or, specifically, what do those ever-informed and clever theists think we do? Here to reveal yet more plans from our monthly Godless Covenant assembly (and $100 to whoever finds out which reckless miscreant keeps leaving those out!), DarkMatter2525 and a bunch of other celebrity godless YouTubers got together and … well, they told the world everything, dammit! Who let those cameras into our Top Seekrit Meeting Room?!

I’m not sure how to feel about this. Is it just an effort to stay relevant? I can’t imagine what’s more public than already holding the most prestigious political office in the world and being the most powerful man on Earth. Maybe it’s a last-ditch attempt to bolster his popularity with younger voters? Or maybe he just has that big of a hard-on for science. (Hey, it happens.) Either way, this is a whole new kind of neat: President Obama is set to make an appearance on MythBusters to help settle (somehow), once and for all, whether noted Ancient Greek genius Archimedes really did use a Death/Heat Ray to set fire to an invading Roman fleet.

Legend has it that during the Siege of Syracuse, circa 214 B.C., Archimedes destroyed the enemy ships with fire, the result of a “heat ray” involving a series of mirrors set up on the coast. But the question has long remained: Did it really happen that way?

[…]

“Did Greek scientist and polymath Archimedes set fire to an invading Roman fleet using only mirrors and the reflected rays of the sun?” a press release for the show asks. “Will Adam and Jamie be able to pull this off, or will they have to report back to the president that they failed?”

Producers of the television series are not saying exactly how Mr. Obama will help prove — or disprove — that myth. But the first presidential appearance is intended to help spur interest in math and science as part of the White House effort to increase American competitiveness in those subjects.

Mr. Obama plans to announce his participation in the show during a White House science fair on Monday.

(I can see the right-wing blog headlines already: “TV show with lots of mirrors brings out conceited Obama” …)

As awesome as this is in itself, I can’t help but feel slightly queasy due to its timing. This strikes me as little more than an effort to try and make himself look cooler to the percentage of voters who watch the Discovery Channel; in itself, that’s okay, but it feels a bit desperate.

Lesbian couple kicked out of Cameron Village shopping center in Raleigh, North Carolina, for sharing a quick hug and kiss – ie. something that “nobody wants to see”.

Vatican newspaper L’Osservatore Romanopraises Homer Simpson as “a true Catholic”. Despite the fact that A) the Simpsons are Protestant, B) the show routinely mocks Catholicism (and religion in general), C) Homer once converted to Catholicism but later deconverted in the same episode, D) the family hasn’t prayed before meals in years … and etc.(via @religionnews)

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Hemant Mehta at Friendly Atheist has a poll up in reaction to a recent New York Times article about the differences in methods between various atheists; ie. those who believe in being friendly and tolerant with religious people without actually conceding any credibility to their silly beliefs (the example given is Chris Mooney), and those who believe in an all-out assault on religion and superstition for the sake of science and reason (à laPZ Myers):

Being my casual, carefree self, I was quick to stick my vote in “Don’t care”. Not that I don’t care about dealing with theists and their wrong and often damaging beliefs, but (as per the actual poll question) that I don’t care about being primarily aggressive or passive in my approach. I don’t believing in sticking to one label or another, or in being only or primarily a confrontationalist or an accommodationist (or even anywhere in between, which implies being somewhat ambiguous and 50-50 about it all, which is simply muddled thinking. Have an opinion already).

I believe in dealing with each situation differently and tailoring my reaction according to my gut and the circumstances. If my interlocutor is a boring or irritating twerp intent on proselytizing their crap to me and being generally obnoxious, I will have no qualms with informing them precisely the manner in which they can fuck off (amongst other things). Conversely, if someone comes up to me and tries to talk about their religious beliefs in a polite and genial manner, then there is certainly no point in trying to rhetorically tear them apart, to crush them when no harm is being done. I might enter the discussion or just politely tell them that I’m not in the mood at the moment for such a conversation, and that’d be the end of it. No-one has to be offended for nothing.

You’ll probably notice a distinct lull in blogging frequency starting tomorrow and for the next few days, with possibly no presence at all on Tuesday or Wednesday. No, I’m not abandoning you, my sweet little crossbow-wielding cherubs, nor am I suddenly turning Republican (do shoot me if that ever happens), nor am I being kidnapped by mutants and brought to a secret base to be tortured forever and ever and … uh, something.

Actually, I’m just moving. … in. … with my mother. (Hey, it’s to her benefit. She’s going through a very rough patch and coupled with a much-needed change of scenery for me, this could really end up killing multiple crap-flinging birds with one stone.)

So, there, just wanted to make this announcement before anyone began to panic and scramble for the defibrillator. And now, enjoy your Daily Blend with its … *counts on fingers* … one link. (Sorry, slow day yesterday.)

Saturday, October 16, 2010

A bit hyperbolic – anyone who blows up abortion clinics or forms militias are, by definition, militant, rather than only those who perpetrate mass murder and global wars – but the point is one that merits being made more often:

“A Christian has to be Adolf Hitler to be called militant. All an atheist has to do is write a book.”

Maybe when atheists start forming armed marches through city streets and blowing up churches and mosques, then they may merit the label of “militant”. Until then, anyone who attempts to use it as a smear against outspoken godless folks deserve no more than derision.

Friday, October 15, 2010

Chilean President Sebastian Pinera with message from miners: “We are okay in the shelter, the 33” (August 22)
[source]

Unless you’ve been living without access to TV, radio, newspapers or the Internet for the past few days or months, you’re probably aware of the nearly three dozen miners in Chile who’ve been trapped underground since their copper/gold mine collapsed in early August. Rescue operations finally succeeded in freeing them from their would-be earthly tomb two days ago, combining sophisticated equipment with months of effort to save the lives of the 33 unfortunate men after spending a record 70 days underground.

The reason I bring this up is not because of a personal interest in the matter, but to shine light on this response from the Catholic League, a statement that’s as breathtakingly moronic, arrogant and downright delusional as expected from their purple-faced mouthpiece, Bill Donohue:

The miraculous rescue of all 33 Chilean miners is difficult to understand from a purely secular perspective. In this day and age of militant atheism, coupled with relentless assaults on Roman Catholicism, it is refreshing to read about the central role that Catholicism played in helping these courageous men survive, and of their enormous gratitude to God.

To those who cling to the superstition that there is no meaning to life beyond sheer material existence, we ask them to reflect on the following testimonials. Just as there are no atheists in foxholes, there are no atheists in trapped mines. Click here for some inspiring comments.

There is so much wrong packed into those two mere paragraphs that it’s almost amazing it isn’t bursting apart at the seams (or <p></p> tags, for the HTML-minded). It’s hard to know where to begin, but the easiest target is the rant’s overall point about how the miners’ survival and rescue is purely miraculous event and can’t possibly be explained by any other means.

[Attorney General Eric Holder] made the comments in a letter to former chiefs of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. The Associated Press obtained a copy of the letter, dated Wednesday.

"We will vigorously enforce the CSA against those individuals and organizations that possess, manufacture or distribute marijuana for recreational use, even if such activities are permitted under state law," Holder wrote.

He also said that legalizing recreational marijuana in California would be a "significant impediment" to the government's joint efforts with state and local law enforcement to target drug traffickers, who often distribute marijuana alongside cocaine and other drugs. Holder said approval of the ballot measure would "significantly undermine" efforts to keep California communities safe.

Shorter Holder: “Even if California says it’s legal to smoke this harmless drug, we will still enforce pointless laws designed to make your life a living hell over our blind fear of anything that people do on their own time and their own dime, because, hey, we got nothing better to do than waste time on this bullshit.”

Because these weed-fearing jackals won’t come out and say it themselves.

This infographic of the timeline of Inception somehow manages to be both clarifying and even more confusing than the actual movie. But it’s still totally sweet. (Sorry for the need-to-squint-to-make-anything-out factor. Couldn’t be helped.)

Update: (10/15/10 1:55 PM) – Godless Atheist on Twitter points me to an even better and out-of-this-world-er graphic of the events in this rat-maze-of-a-movie. But, eh, I’ve already posted one infographic, so I’ll just link it (above) for the sake of avoiding redundancy. I keep a tidy blog, you know.

While Dan Savage and supporters are out there promoting the view that “it gets better” for LGBT teens undergoing persecution, this guy has a heartfelt message to share with the bigoted assholes who bully them and make their lives miserable: For them, it actually gets worse as times goes on and the realization hits that the wider world is far less accepting of bigotry than high school. [Video below the fold.]

California student finds hidden FBI GPS tracking device [pictured] on his car. FBI shows up, demands it back. Oh, and the fact that the student is Arab-American has nothing to do with it, I’m sure.(via The Agitator)

The Bad: That Congress can’t get “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repealed due to Republican obstructionism (and general incompetence), while pathetic, is understandable. That President Obama can’t get it done because he actively goes back on his promise and tries to keep DADT going for as long as possible is not.

The Good: Despite Obama’s backtracking, the Pentagon assures it will comply with the court order and immediately cease any and all ongoing discharges and investigations commenced under DADT.

About Me

I’m a liberal skeptic, rationalist & third-wave atheist stuck in a rut in Québec, Canada and who spends his time composing, writing, drawing, harboring a layman’s passion for science and technology, getting angry at social injustices, and most of all, jabbing cretins and trolls with sharp pointy sticks. (Oh, and blogging.) Proud owner of a Nize Hat!, an indomitable SIWOTI syndrome and an itchy snark finger.

You can find all my musical, literary and artistic works at my art blog, Creativitas.